10°c Light rain showers
8°c Mainly cloudy
Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION
Rain cools northern Ontario wildfires
Nathan Denette / The Canadian Press Fire ranger John Perry checks the smoking remnants of a fire near Timmins. (CP)
TIMMINS, Ont. -- A sprawling forest fire that threatened the city of Timmins in northern Ontario was reduced to swathes of smouldering terrain by a steady drizzle Sunday, but emergency officials warned the crisis is far from over.
It will take more than a sprinkle to turn the tide against the fire burning massive stretches of woodland west of the city of 43,000, Mayor Tom Laughren said.
"We need a lot of rain to change the situation," he said Sunday. "But whatever rain we get, with these kinds of temperatures, definitely helps (the Ministry of Natural Resources) and firefighters in their task."
The change in weather signalled a shift in tactics for firefighters dispatched to battle the blaze.
Earlier efforts centred on shielding properties from damage, officials said, noting only a few sheds and a truck fell prey to the flames.
"As the rain increases, we'll shift from value protection to installing control lines around the fire," said Garry Harland, the ministry's fire operations supervisor.
"The fire is so large, you can't go at the whole thing all at once, but we will prioritize the areas and get in there as fast as we can," he said.
The showers that began Sunday afternoon brought welcome relief from the violent winds that fanned the fires and propelled thick, acrid smoke towards the city at various times this week. The pungent cloud sparked concerns in the community over air quality before it cleared over the weekend.
The winds also temporarily limited the use of water bombers, a crucial weapon in fighting the flames.
The wildfire shrunk slightly over the weekend to 39,518 hectares from 41,210.
Randy Pickering, a manager with the Ministry of Natural Resources, said access to at-risk areas would be restricted "for an extended period of time." However, no new evacuations were expected.
There were 30 active fires across the province Sunday, down from 46 the day before.
-- The Canadian Press
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition May 28, 2012 A9
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